Flag of Tuvalu
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The national flag of Tuvalu is a light blue field with the Union Jack in the canton and nine yellow five-pointed stars on the fly (right) half of the flag. The nine stars represent the nine islands of Tuvalu, while the Union Jack symbolises the country's connections to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. The flag was originally adopted on 1 October 1978, the day Tuvalu became an independent country. On 1 October 1995, the government of Prime Minister Kamuta Latasi introduced a new flag in a move towards republicanism. However, the subsequent government under Prime Minister Bikenibeu Paeniu restored the flag adopted at independence on 11 April 1997.
11 April 1997 (readopted)
| |
| Use | National flag and ensign    |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 1:2 |
| Adopted | 1 October 1978 (original) 11 April 1997 (readopted) |
| Design | A light blue field with the Union Jack in the canton and nine yellow five-pointed stars on the fly half |
| Designed by | Vione Natano |
Aside from the two flags used after independence, Tuvalu also had its own Blue Ensign from 3 December 1976 to 1 October 1978, when it was a colony in its own right. From 1937 to 1975, Tuvalu flew the Blue Ensign of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, which it was part of.
History
From 1892 to 1975, Tuvalu, then known as the Ellice Islands, was a constituent part of the British protectorate and then colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands.[1] The Gilbert and Ellice Islands were granted a coat of arms in 1937,[2] and a Blue Ensign defaced with the coat of arms was subsequently adopted as the colonial flag.[3] The Ellice Islands separated from the Gilbert Islands and became the Colony of Tuvalu on 1 October 1975, and on 3 December 1976 Tuvalu received its own coat of arms and a corresponding defaced Blue Ensign.[4]
Flag of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands (1937–1975), which Tuvalu was a part of
Flag of the Colony of Tuvalu (3 December 1976 – 1 October 1978)
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Tuvalu became an independent and sovereign state on 1 October 1978, exactly three years after its separation from the Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati).[5] It adopted a new national flag designed by Vione Natano: a light blue (officially azure) field with the Union Jack in the canton and nine yellow five-pointed stars spread diagonally on the fly half.[6] The Union Jack symbolised Tuvalu's ties to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, while the nine stars represented Tuvalu's nine islands.[4]
The government of Prime Minister Kamuta Latasi adopted a new Tuvaluan flag on 1 October 1995, the 17th anniversary of the country's independence. It consisted of a wide horizontal light blue band bordered above and below by a thin white band (i.e. a white fimbriation) and a broad red band. Eight white five-pointed stars were spread across the fly half, a reference to the original eight islands of Tuvalu ("Tuvalu" meaning "eight standing together"[1]), and near the hoist was a white triangle containing the Tuvaluan coat of arms.[4][7] The move was intended by Latasi to be a precursor to Tuvalu becoming a republic. However, the new flag proved unpopular among many Tuvaluans who supported the monarchy and believed the change was disrespectful to Queen Elizabeth II.[4][8] For example, residents of the island of Niutao chopped down a flagpole after the new flag was raised.[8] During the 1996–1997 Tuvaluan political crisis, Latasi's main challenger, Bikenibeu Paeniu, promised to immediately revert the flag change if he became prime minister. Paeniu successfully ousted Latasi in a motion of no confidence on 18 December 1996, and the flag adopted at independence was restored on 11 April 1997, following a 7 to 5 vote in parliament.[4][8][9]
Flag of Tuvalu (1 October 1978 – 1 October 1995; 11 April 1997 – present)
Each star in the flag of Tuvalu represents one of the country's nine islands.
Flag of Tuvalu (1 October 1995 – 11 April 1997)
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Construction and protocol
The Tuvalu National Flag Act (first enacted in 1995, amended in 1997, and revised in 2008) contains a written description and image of the current flag. The flag's width-to-length ratio is 1 to 2, the Union Jack covers a quarter of the flag's area, the stars are contained in the fly half, and the width of each star is equal to 1/12th of the flag's width. The act also grants the government the ability to authorise the flag's use on an ad hoc basis and to create regulations regarding the flag's use in general.[6]
See also
- Flag of Fiji, a visually similar flag of another country in the South Pacific.[4]
